THE CHESTNUT BLIGHT FUNGUS (CRYPHONECTRIA PARASITICA MURR. (BARR)) IN THE CENTRAL-EUROPEAN REGION

Abstract

Chestnut blight disease caused by the Cryphonectria parasitica fungus [syn: Endothia parasitica] resulted in big damages of the chestnut stands throughout the World. In 1969, disease symptoms were reported first on chestnut in the Carpathian-Basin, in Hungary. Until 1998, the fungus was detected only on chestnut in the Carpathian-Basin. Then blight symptoms were also detected on some young sessile oak (Quercus petraea) trees in South-Transdanubie (Hungary) and in Slovakia. The main goal of our studies was to investigate and detect the symptoms of Cryphonectria parasitica on oaks in the different regions of the Carpathian-Basin (in Romania, in Ukraine, in Slovakia and in Hungary). During our examinations, blight symptoms on oaks were identified on three Hungarian areas. Infected oak trees with bark necroses were also found in Baia Mare, Romania and in Slovakia near Duchonka. Oak trees infected by chestnut blight fungus were not yet found in Ukraine. Four strains of the pathogen were identified from bark samples of infected oaks (EU-3, EU-16, EU-9 and EU-11) in Hungary. Only one pathogen strain (EU-2) was identified from the Slovakian site and only one strain (EU-12) was identified also from the examined Romanian areas from oak bark samples. Until now, C. parasitica has not caused such serious destruction on oaks as on chestnut trees in the Carpathian-basin, therefore potentially it could be a more serious parasite for our forests in the future.